Infinite Infinity
by Yanrev
Summary: When an unseen madness interferes with what was assumed to be an unshakeable bond between the Sky Pirates, what will be in store for the likes of Balthier, Fran, Basch, and Ashe when turns and twists began to pull at that gravitational force holding them
1. The Smile

This is my first hand at writing and I decided to use it to take a stab at my favorite two characters of the Final Fantasy XII series, Balthier and Fran. I tried to stay in character, and truly I hope I was capable of such, but I wanted to take a different path from the normal stories that featured them and tried to outline the interaction because it always seemed so eloquent to me when playing the game. Regardless, I hope the audience enjoys the writing, and while the first three chapters will be sort of short snippets, the story itself will begin soon!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy XII or any of the characters or places that belong to the game itself. I do, however, own any original characters used, imaginary places, the story itself, and the plot.

* * *

_"At times, things are more complimenting in the dark than in the light."_

Chapter One: **The Smile**

--

"It would seem that our time together has lengthened more than originally thought, if I may say."

He nodded lightly at her, allowing a small connection of their eyes before following up with a response, "Agreed. Perhaps it is we whom should disappear and take to the skies, for those whom we partner seem more transfixed with the land than we."

There was a hearty chuckle that rang from the man's throat, though he found no problems with laughing alone. He was quite comfortable in her companionship alone and use to her extroverted behaviors, but more importantly he had developed such a synch with her that he could understand a portion of her inner sanctum and simply found relief from that alone. Although she expressed no such facial features, she too seemed content, and that within itself was fine enough for him.

And so, the two continued on with their conversations, neither ever paying mind to the fine details of their surroundings, but merely intoning every miniscule detail of one another.

* * *

_He_ hadn't missed the ghost of a smile curling at the ends of her lips, nor the fact that she was nothing at all aware of his presence.

Both were foreign oddities to him, for Viera were never without keen senses and extreme acuteness even when nearing death, and a smile from this particular one seemed as unheard of as a Hume courting a Bangaa. The latter comparison made his face contort into a frightened horridness, for he bid pity on any whom was forced into such a relationship certainly, but the idea did not entirely ruin his frustrations. Truly it was the fact of why -or rather **who**- was keeping her attentions so unyieldingly and making her step from the boundaries of indifference even for a split, unnoticeable millisecond.

"_**Basch**_."

The Viera and the Judge both hesitated in their conversing as a voice interrupted, peering to the side to notice the handsomeness of the Sky Pirate, finding his expression to be a bit puzzling in the least. "Ashe requests your presence, and we shall be taking our leave I'm afraid." His voice started out a bit off kilter, but smoothed out to regain it's composure as his adrenaline died down, "Why such faces, did I interrupt?" His sarcasm was missed, or else neither found it offensive enough to pay it mind, but still Fran lifted her thin brow at him.

"Is something amiss? Your heart is ablaze."

"Is it? There is nothing that crossed my mind."

"You'd do well to loosen the fists then," Basch lightly lowered his brows in contrast to Fran, continuing, "for otherwise they'll be too ashen to be of use, Balthier."

It was then that he had noticed that truly his heart, though calming, had been swiftly trying to bore through his chest, and his fists had been held so tightly that they had paled sickeningly and nearly lost all feeling from their nerves. He breathe deeply, regaining his complete composure and returning to his usual quirk, crossing his arms as he let his weight shift toward the cream of the door space. "Well then, as I stated, we shall be taking our leave now. A pleasure Basch. Fran," He slightly turned his gaze to the Viera, trying not to pay mind to the light suspicion written upon her features, "let us take to the skies once more, shall we?" With a small nod from the Judge and the signal that Fran herself was moving to get to his side, Balthier simply turned upon his heel and made way for the door, quietly trying to figure out the cause of his little mishap and shaming himself for allowing such an ugly one at that take place.

"You have your suspicions also I assume?"

"Perhaps, but it apparently is not the place for outsiders to inquire the going-ons of the inside." Fran responded flatly, finding that she couldn't quite place any blame on anything more than his meeting with Ashe, for up to the point he had been as merry and coy as ever. Basch raised his brow at her, crossing his arms over his massive chest in question.

"Going-ons?"

"Am I not allowed to be impressionable?"

"No, it is simply fascinating that _I_ happened to leave such an impression on you is all."

A slight mirth slanted between the two as Fran stood where Balthier had been only moments before, peering back at the ruggedness of Basch's face. Gone was the friendliness of comrades in arms, and now before them was a bond that seemed more kinetic than those formed otherwise with the exceptions. There was something stirring between the two, perhaps some quiet before some uncharted storm, or perhaps something blooming like the silky petals of a lily. Had it not have been for the rituals of Princess and Sky Pirate, then the two certainly would have always only been absurdly parallel but never quite meeting and conjoining to mold into something more intriguing.

"**Fran**." The impatience of Balthier's voice tampered with the moment, making both shake their heads as if in agreement of the man's need for manners.

"Be safe on your journey."

"And you on yours."

She turned to leave, but the sudden start of Bash halted her. "Expect a letter in two weeks, I apologize in advanced for my sluggishness in the regard, but certainly it shall be waiting for you then." His voice was strong, though hushed as if he were uncertain of the response he'd be given, or if he'd be afforded one at all. There was a pause between the two, one that made him feel just a tad self-conscious, for although they had passed the gray areas of their friendship some time ago, he was still fresh in her versed territory.

"Humes and their excessive quarrels with time," She shook her head lightly, breaking the silence and allowing him peace, but he knew that secretly it held a laugh that was as divine as chime bells during a dewy morning, "shan't it be there then, it will be there soon."

"Fran."

"Basch."

And then, with snow strum tendrils dancing behind her and stilettos gracefully tapping upon the marble of the floor, she was out of his sight and back where she belonged.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed it, and if you didn't, I apologize. Please feel free to leave reviews of critiquing or just to express how you feel about the story in general. As I said, I'm quite the beginner at this, so anything said would truly help mold me to fix my craft!


	2. The Incident

Haha, I've come to notice that not many others center their dialogue, but it seemed odd for me to have dialogue sitting without connecting sentences while aligned with paragraphs. I'm just a nut, don't mind me! Regardless, thank you Vieraheart15 and SharperImage for commenting, I'm really happy to have reviews! Oh, and the first three chapters are actually snippets that are of importance to the actual story that'll be beginning on the fourth chapter. Think of them as separate Prologues! As far as what Fran and Basch are speaking of, Ashe and Balthier have been keeping contact with one another and it is often that the two Pirates visit the Princess, and because of such Basch and Fran often are left to speak with one another until business between the Sky Pirate and Princess has settled. They haven't been together, they are just…_reaching_ another level at the moment. : )

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy XII or any of the characters or places that belong to the game itself. I do, however, own any original characters used, imaginary places, the story itself, and the plot.

_"Fear the sanity that drives you than the insanity that calms you."_

Chapter Two: **The Incident**

She had awaken to the garish sounds of her home being dismantled and violated, and within moments she was standing in the engine room with annoyance painting the brilliant ruby of her eyes. There before her, muttering low curses was Balthier in his sleepless glory, bathed in oil, sweat, and frustration. Watching him clumsily trying to do who knows what to an engine that was as frustrated as he, the Viera was unsure whether to intervene or allow him to deal with his inner turmoil in his choice way, for she knew that that was exactly what he was doing without any words spoken. Suddenly, the Strahl made a loud, pathetic groan, and Fran knew then that regardless of his mood, she had to intervene for all of their sakes.

"Balthier."

She called to him, standing in the doorway with the full volume of her cotton nightshirt swallowing the majority of her frame and her snowy locks licking every cocoa portion of flesh bared in its tousled freedom, "She does not appreciate the vengeance you have wrought upon her." Her voice, raspy in mystery and low in fatigue drifted into the flushed ears curved into his head, but he made no acknowledgement to hearing her and kept to his fumbling. She watched him intently, noticing that his side profile was haggard and indescribable; that his vest was smudged in a substance she could not place, and that the vanity of his pants and shirt were tattered and ruined by his carelessness. He was a mess, one that was baffling to someone unaware of his nature, but to a rare specimen that was both capable of being themselves _as well_ as Balthier it was expected.

She gave an inward sigh at his refusal to be something stronger than a Hume, knowing instantly that his request for her to come to him caused him to ignore her, and if she truly wanted to rest knowing that she'd be afforded to awaken to peace, she'd simply follow his desires. So, she went to him, soundlessly striding to him with her features as blank as a canvas before its purchase, and kneeling merely a few inches before him. She drank him in, finding that etched beneath his eyes were dark circles that were transitioning from hollow ebony to a fiendish purple, and that his eyes themselves were red and stained, the fine lashes that framed them holding the residue of tears spilled. She breathe, taking in the odor of his complexity of euphoria and inferno, pain and joy, hatred and love, guilt and heroism. She was not as layered as the Hume before her, and so she could not truly understand the conflicting affectivity that plagued him, but as he collapsed into her arms and embraced her like a rabid puppy, she knew it mattered not.

"Sin is indulgence and repentance is guilt," The length of her fingers ventured into his damp locks as he in turn tried to bleed into her as he strove to hug her closer to him, "but honesty itself is allowing both to intertwined and live as an entity. Hold not the past steadfast, else you'll disassemble the future, Sky Pirate." She could feel the erratic beating of his heart calling for the rhythm of her own, and as they danced around each other, she could not help but ponder upon the differences. She was of true wilderness, a creature bred from the bosom of the Wood, embellished on the extremes of Humes and their foolish conceptions of things that often seemed more similar than the Humes would care to admit. She was sloth in her ways because she never was raised with the ideas of mortality branded into her head, for the Viera worried not of death and merely felt it an evolution of all things, and she could not become so emancipated with the various rules that seemed contradictory and unnecessarily elaborate. And then there was he, a Hume that was a victim to all things she was not, layered and emotional, prideful and boasting a fearlessness that seemed rather silly at best.

"Fran." The cracked voice interrupted her thoughts, and with a few slow blinks the sight of a heated engine room was before her once more.

"Yes?"

"This is certainly_ not_ the Wood, and you are most certainly _not_ a **Hume**," The brutality of his words made the muscles within her body tense, "so do not so eagerly speak such words when you yourself cannot even hope to comprehend the notion." Her blood began to boil and cool at an alarming rate as his words echoed, each repeat of them slamming into her ears like a supernova bursting and rebirthing. She did not feel his weight remove itself from her form, and was not even aware of the fact that he had walked some distance away from her, but she most certainly was aware that something had been struck within her and readily knew that she no longer had a place aboard the Strahl. It seemed timeless as she sat there, the urges of feral thirst surging her lungs as her body began to tremble in approximately timed settings, but still she knew that she most certainly could not make such retaliation.

She was no longer amongst the lushness of her Wood, and she, without a hesitation, would agree to not being anything remotely near a Hume, yet the unstable response that she was having was troubling her. She was aware that both were true, and yet she was irritated beyond a reasonable point, and it bothered her intensely. She was not some beast from the wild temporarily domesticated by some suave gentleman, nor was she some sort of woman scorned, but she was **something** at the moment, something she had never been before her fifty years roaming amongst the Humes. Pressing trembling palms to the tightened flesh of her face, she was astonished as the small snarl she was baring and instantly fought to simplify it into her normal indifference.

It was soon that she was upon her futon in the privacy of her own room, curled into the warmth of her lingering heat of vengeance to keep out the cold of betrayal and something other, something she currently couldn't quite place at the time. Still, as she continued to remain thoughtless, she pretended not to hear the silent sobs seeping through the room a few walls away from her own. It now longer mattered, and comforting seemed on reserved for someone other than herself.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please feel free to comment on what you like, love, or absolutely hate! I love reviews, they make me feel appreciated and give me strength to continue on as well as tell me what I should work on. Without them I really wouldn't feel as if it'd be any good for me to continue writing!


End file.
